SCHOOL cricket in Guyana is set for a massive shot in the arm with the unveiling of the Beharry Group of Companies Schools’ U-19 T20 League.
The inaugural tournament, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Guyana, looks to revitalise grassroots cricket and provide a crucial competitive platform for the country’s emerging youth talent.
Coordinated by the Petra Organisation, the tournament targets approximately 80 teams across eight zones, which will play in an initial straight knock-out zonal playoff system followed by a league format for the top teams.
The tournament is officially scheduled to bowl off on June 13, 2026, with the opening match slated for the QC Grounds, before extending to various grounds across Moruca to Berbice and from Region Two to Wakenaam.
Organisers strategically brought the start date forward to build momentum and maximise student engagement before schools close for the July/August vacation period.
Speaking at the official media launch hosted in the EBB Training Room, Malissa Sylvester, Group Chief Marketing Officer of the Beharry Group, emphasised the company’s long-standing 90-year commitment to investing in people and national development through sport.
Sylvester noted that sport teaches vital, life-long character traits such as discipline, teamwork, resilience, and leadership that classroom learning alone cannot capture.
She expressed hope that the tournament would establish a sustainable platform that would leave a lasting legacy for youth cricket in Guyana while keeping young people positively engaged in healthy lifestyles.
Tournament Coordinator Azizi Christiani detailed the structured layout of the competition, which balances localised access with a high-stakes championship playoff.
The initial phase features eight distinct zones across the country: Zone 1 comprises Regions One and Two with 10 teams; Zone 2 encompasses Regions Three and Seven with 9 teams; Zone 3 covers East Bank Demerara and Upper Demerara with 7 schools; Zone 4 highlights South Georgetown with 10 schools; Zone 5 features North Georgetown with 12 schools; Zone 6 represents East Coast Demerara with 10 schools; Zone 7 holds West Berbice with 6 schools; and Zone 8 finishes with East Berbice/Corentyne fielding 14 teams.
Following lengthy format discussions with former West Indies fast bowler Reon King and Cricket Development Officer Anthony D’Andrade, Christiani explained that the project received crucial planning input from former regional cricketer-turned-Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs.
Once the straight-knockout zonal playoffs crown their respective champions, the eight winning teams will be ranked by Net Run Rate and divided into two groups of four. After a single round-robin group phase, the top two teams from each group will advance to a playoff format mirroring the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) system.
The top-seeded teams will clash in a Qualifier for a direct ticket to the final, while the losing side gets a second chance by playing the winner of the elimination match between the two second-place finishers.
Ministry of Education Officer Karishma Ramnauth welcomed the collaborative venture, noting the Ministry’s shared enthusiasm for integrating structured sports into the development curriculum.
